BEHIND THE PHOTO: THE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT WHO LED THE CHARGE AT INCHON
July 20, 2023Mac Caltrider
Inchon
Lieutenant López leading his men under fire over the seawall at Inchon several minutes before his death. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
When Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered 40,000 United Nations’ troops to land on the fortified shores of Inchon and split the communist forces invading South Korea, he knew the outcome of the risky operation hinged on the caliber of men who would lead it. When he chose the 1st Marine Division for the job, 1st Lieutenant Baldomero López became one of those men.
The assault got underway on Sept. 10, 1950. The Marines arrived under fire, suffering hundreds of casualties before they even reached the shore. As 25-year-old López climbed out of his landing craft and over the seawall, a Marine cameraman — whose identity is lost to history — snapped a photograph. The black-and-white photo of a lone Marine scaling the enemy’s defenses with rifle in hand became what is perhaps the most iconic image from the Korean War. And the story behind it is even more harrowing than what most people might imagine.
Baldomero López
López attended the United States Naval Academy before accepting a commission in the Marine Corps. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
The day before landing at Inchon, López — a first-generation American and graduate of the United States Naval Academy — penned a letter to his father. “Knowing that the profession of arms calls for many hardships and many risks, I feel that you all are now prepared for any eventuality,” he wrote. “If you catch yourself starting to worry, just remember that no one forced me to accept my commission in the Marine Corps.”
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